Electric fuel-heater



Patented J an. 20, 1920.

w awe m wage R i A WN wfl L. REICHOLD.

' ELECTRIC FUEL HEATE fi. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1919. 1,328,546.

LUDWIG: REYiCHGLD, ()F E'ITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTSpASSIGNOR TO GENERAII ELECTRIC COMEANY, A GORIGRATIQN OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC FUEL-HEATER.

Application filed July 30, 1919.

' citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Fuel- Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to electric fuel heat- This difiiculty may be overcome by heating the mixed vapor before it passes to the manifold of the engine. One object of my invention is to provide an electric heater that will permit the vapor to pass over all of its parts so that the transmission of heat will take place in an efficient manner, and at the same time does not retard or restrict the passage of the vapor while heating or at any other time. F or this purpose I employ an electric heater of a special construction as described herein, located in the intake pipe of the engine.

@ther objects and purposes of my inventionwill appear in the course of the following specification, in which I have shown my invention embodied in concrete form for purposes of illustration.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side view of an internal combustion engine, certain of the parts being in section, Fig. 2 is a detail view of my manifold heater, and F ig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 2, taken on the lines 1-1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an internal combustion engine of any suitable construction, having one or more cylinders 2. Each cylinder is provided with an intake valve 3 and an exhaust valve 4: operated by cams in the usual manner. 5 indicates a manifold that is connected to the intake ipe' 6, which in turn is connected to the car ureter 7. In the intake pipe and above the throttle valve 8 is situated an 4 electric heating unit 9. This heatin unit is made of any suitable resistance element, and preferably fiat or of riobon forma- Spccification of Letters LPatent.

Patented Jan, 2t), 1920.

Serial No. era-me.

From the drawings it will be seen that the resistance element is twice folded fiat at right angles upon itself at 11 and 12 about its middle with two legs or prongs 14; and 15 of equal length extending downwardly. The folds 11 and 12 are separated by a space marked 13. The size of this space is determined by the diameter of the intake pipe, the object being to have it almost as wide as the intake pipe permits in order that the heating of the passing vapor may be uniform.

For convenience in assembling the various parts, the intake pipe has been cut transversely, each of the cut portions being provided with a flange l6 and 17 respectively. A washer 18, provided with an opening coinciding with the inner side of the intake pipe to permit the free passage of the vapor, serves as a supporting member for terminals 19 and which are suitably insulated therefrom and widely separated as the intake pipe permits, preferably a distance similar to the space 13, as shown in Fig. 2. It will therefore be readily understood that when these parts are assembled, the washer 18 will be secured between the flanges 16 and 17 as shown in Fig. 1.

From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the leg 15 of the resistance element has been twisted once midway between the fold 11 and its end 15, and is electrically connected to the terminal 20 which occupies a position diagonally opposite the fold 11. Likewise the leg 14 of said element has been twisted once midway between the fold 12 and its end 14, and

is electrically connected to the terminal 19 which is in a position diagonally opposite the fold 12. It will be observed that by reason of the legs 1 1 and 15 being connected to the terminals diagonally opposite their respective folds, said legs are necessarily bent diagonally between the folds and the terminals and form an X-shaped structure. Such a structure exposes a larger heating surface to the passing vapor and the vapor is caused to whirl around the heater by rea son of its twisted parts in a manner readily understood. The heating unit is supported at its lower end by means of its connection to the terminals 19 and 20 and is held in a fixed and rigid position by means of a member 21 which is insulated from the intake pipe 6 by means of an insulating material,

tion, stiffened by longitudinai ribs preferably mica 21, which snugly fits intQ 11o is folded at two points, with prongs twisted and its ends connected to the circuit terminals.

cured, preferably by rivets through the folds 11 and 12. When the terminals 19 and 20 are properly connected to an electrical source.

of supply, the current will flow through one of the ends of the heating unit and out of the other, since said unit forms a continuous circuit, and heat will betransmitted to the surrounding area in a well known manner.

Thus the vapor as it passes through the intake pipe 6 to the manifold 5 from the carbureter 7 passes freely over all parts of the heating unit and heat is efficiently transmitted to it.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and as operating in a specific manner according to the provisions of the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. An electric heater comprising a flat resistance element folded to the legs of which are provided with stiffeningribs.

2. An electric heater comprising a flat'resistance element the middle portion of which the two legs or e 3. An electric heater comprising a flat resistance element the middle portion of which is folded at two points with the two legs thereof extending in the same direction and those skilled in form a U shape twisted,.and electrical terminals respectively connected to said legs opposite the respective folds of said legs.

4. An electric heater comprising a flat resistance element the middle portion of which is folded at two points with the two legs thereof extending in the same direction and twisted, electrical terminals respectively connected to said legs opposite the respective folds of said legs, and means for supporting with the two legs or. prongs twisted and its ends connected to the circuit terminals.

6. The combination with an internal combustion engine provided with an intake pipe of an electricheater in said intake pipe comprising a flat resistance element the middle portion of which is folded at two points with the two legs thereof extending in the same direction and twisted, and electrical terminals for said legs projecting into said intake pipe.

7. The combination with an internal com bustion engine provided with-an intake pipe of an electric heater in said intake pipe com prising a fiat resistance element the middle ortion of which is folded 'at two points, with the two legsor prongs twisted and its ends connected to the circuit terminals, and means for supporting said element within the intake pipe.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 76 day of July, 1919.

LUDWIG REIOHOLD. 

